Posts Tagged ‘trucking companies’

The problems in the French freight carrier industry have been in the headlines a lot lately and today it was reported that four stevedoring companies operating in the Port of Le Havre were fined by the French regulatory agency for what they deem as unfair competition tactics in their business operations at the port. Apparently, the agency thinks the groups involved have been meeting to agree on some aspects of business that could give the firms involved a significant business advantage in the Port of Le Havre.

The truth of this affair could likely be told in the weeks and days ahead and it could be trying times for the four stevedoring companies involved and the French freight carrier industry. There could always be additional business consequences involved for these companies and at the very least they’re going to be under the microscope for awhile. Exactly, what the additional business consequences could be we’ll probably hear about in the months ahead and we can be sure the French regulatory agencies will be watching every move the companies involved in this affair make in their future business affairs in the Port of Le Havre and probably anywhere they do business in France.

The fines applied this time appear to be more symbolic than substantial and it could be the French agency just wants to send a strong message to the four companies involved and others in the French freight carrier industry that this kind of stuff will not be tolerated? The French agency stopped short of applying some fines to parties that some think were involved in this affair, so maybe some sanity is starting to appear in this affair and we’ll see business in the Port of Le Havre return to normal.

Trailer trucking firms looking at the Unified Carrier Registration fees they’ll have to pay in the calendar year under the new proposals are probably wondering how this is going to affect them during a time when they’re already hauling a tough financial road? Reports by many carriers indicates that they’ll be paying as much as double the fees they paid in previous calendar years and many think this additional cost could create new problems for many of America’s and North America’s trucking transport firms. Especially, for large trucking services firms this could mean some major changes in the financial landscape and future of the company, and this of course is making some trucking professionals doubt the wisdom of the increases at this time in the trucking industries history.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has indicated in statements that it was forced to increase the United Carrier Registration fee at this time in order to provide states with the money they’re expecting under the Single State Registration System. This statement must provide little comfort to the trucking firms that will have to pay the increased fees, since in the end they’ll have little choice but to pay, if they want to continue to conduct business. At least the fees are less than the original numbers the FMCSA was throwing at trucking firms in the start of this affair, which for some trucking firms must be a positive sign. They can still expect a rather large bill in the days ahead from the FMCSA and this is probably going to stick in their throat for a few days.

Is it time for shipping companies to begin ordering new container transport vessels? There appears to be a cut-throat competition going on between shipyards competing for the latest round of new containership orders that might be an opportunity for some shipping companies to save a bit of money? The competition appears to be getting a little hotter lately as there have been reports of investigations into competition complaints.

One particular complaint centers on moves by one Greek shipping interest to raise the money it needs for new vessels by using European taxpayers money to pay for the vessels. The intensity of this dispute appears to be rising at the moment and this situation could become pretty heated in the days and weeks ahead. This affair appears to be a political hot potato at the moment in European circles, so we can probably expect some tippy-toeing to be going on around the events concerning this company. The investigation appears to be going full steam ahead though and we can certainly expect to hear something on this front in a few days.

We should probably expect more shipbuilding yards to join the competition for new container transport ships being built around the world. The volume of new ships being ordered has increased recently according to many in the freight carrier industry and a feeding frenzy of a type could begin shortly. What all this means for the world’s freight shipping industry is the question? Will the volume of containers that needs to be transported go up and is the business of shipping containers going to return to levels of old in 2010?

Bulk oil shipments are taken by the large tankers of the world’s oil freight carriers to destinations around the world in some of the largest vessels ever to float on the oceans blue. Bulk tankers of this type are used to transport bulk liquids of many different kinds to market, including hazardous and potentially lethal bulk liquids that are used to power the world’s industries.

China has been making moves designed to make the country as self-sufficient in the future as possible. Part of this plan is a desire to control the domestic and international flow of bulk oil into the China. China has recently made a few choices that have a few freight carrier industry analysts thinking that China is moving toward purchasing the new tanker capacity it needs to make sure at least 40 percent of the bulk oil imported into China is transported on tankers owned or controlled by Chinese shipping interests.

Towards this end many in the worldwide freight carrier shipping industry think that there are Chinese shipping companies currently planning to increase the size of what’s already one of the world’s largest bulk tanker fleets by as much as five times its present size in order to handle this job. This means Chinese shipping interests that are planning on bowing to government pressure in this goal are going to have to order a bushel full of new tankers. At present the new orders haven’t been seen on the books of the world’s shipyards, but if China is going to move toward the goal of transporting a large percentage of the imported oil it uses to power its industries, it will have to get started on this job soon.

There’s apparently a belief in parts of the world that more needs to be done to reduce the carbon wheel-print of North America’s trailer trucking industry. The latest report on this subject, titled Freight Trucks and Climate Change Policy Mitigating CO2 Emissions, even suggests that the governments of North America need to get to work in partnership with the trucking transport industry on reducing the carbon emissions of the trucking services industry of North America. The belief exists that not enough is being done to help the trucking industry reduce its carbon wheel-print and more needs to be done on all sides to move the trucking industry down the road to carbon sustainability a little further.

There could be some truth to this statement, but we could probably always do more and we do have to keep the trucks moving as we are trying to make the business of freight trucking a little greener for the health of the future of the trucking industry. We do have to control our emotions and make sure any changes we make are going to be useful for achieving the goals we have in mind. Solutions can cause additional problems in the trucking industry that we just don’t need at this time in history, so we do need to make sure any change we do make is going to do the job. The trucking industry of North America can no longer afford to think in terms of a North American industry and we must take into account the activities of all of the trucking industries around the world.

The good news is that we have started the trucking industry down the road to reducing carbon emissions, but obviously we still have lots of work to do, before the work is going to be complete. If we make sure we study the ideas we have implemented and alter our future plans using the facts we collect during the journey the job should be a lot easier.

Container transport vessels berthed at the ports of the world could be using more shore power in order to reduce the carbon propeller-print and emissions of the world’s ports. It was reported that last month Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) conducted tests to see if they could feasibly use shore power for container transport ships at berth. The tests were apparently successful enough that the company is apparently going ahead with plans to power vessels at berth using shore power. The number of ships that are normally at berth according to the designers means that the use of shore power could significantly improve the air quality of Shanghai.

There will certainly be many ports of the world that will be watching what happens with this plan by the Shanghai International Port Group. If the results of the plan are as successful as the designers hope, we can certainly look forward to seeing more container transport vessels sitting at berth in the ports of the world being powered using shore power. There of course is going to be a few problems with power generation standards around the world. The various container transport vessels of the world can have varying voltage and frequency requirements with the power they use in comparison to the electrical supplies of the various ports of the world. This means that a system will have to be developed that will allow all vessels to use the various power frequencies and voltages of the various ports around the world.

This could mean that another industry will be created to design and manufacture the technology and systems that the container shipping industry needs to make use of shore power around the world. In the end though, the container shipping industry will be a little greener and this is the best part of this idea.

The trailer trucking industry is preparing to try to navigate through the upcoming months of 2010, after a first three months to the year that has shown some signs of improvement in the business of trucking transport. You can be sure trucking services companies have been trying to pay attention to events occurring around the industry and the world for indications that business could be about to increase. Trucking firms will have to begin investing in new equipment in order to meet future orders and navigate the changing landscape of the trucking industry in the environment of the century. A changing landscape that could mean the trucking industry could see more losses in the weeks, months and years ahead. Before they invest money during a time when money is hard to make, they want to be as sure as possible they’re going to have the business in the future to pay for the investment. Unfortunately, forecasting the future has always been a doubtful affair and yet trucking companies are still going to have to invest money in order to conduct business in the future.

Still, when we see trucking firms investing huge sums in new equipment, it can often be a sign that the business of trucking is going to begin to get better in the future, at least the company investing in new equipment and trucks, probably thinks so. One American trucking firm recently put in an order for over a thousand new Kenworth T660s with the Paccar MX engine, and there have been suggestions around the trucking industry that this could be a sign that the American trucking industry is getting healthier. Hopefully, the suggestions are correct, but we should probably get more evidence to confirm the belief in an increase in the business of trucking in America.

Reports of space being hard to find for customers that need container transport service from China to Europe have steadily gone down and reports now indicate that the average price for container transport services has gone down for the seventh straight week. Differing reports on the ability of customers to find space is no surprise and this could of course be to different business practices and other factors that have yet to be determined. The important thing for customers is that space is relatively easy to find and rates are coming down. They should probably take advantage of the rates while they can, because this condition isn’t likely to last forever. Providers of container transport services on the other hand will need to control their reactions and keep the ship steady as they head further into 2010. There might be a little glut of shipping capacity at the moment, but this will quickly equalize if the volume of containers that needs to be transported keeps going up in the ports of the world and rates will begin to equalize as well.

If shipping companies just keep a steady course, they should be okay, and then they can take a serious look at the fleet they have idle and make any adjustments they feel might be necessary in their operations. Environmental requirements and economic conditions could mean that the container transport industry will have to invest in a new generation of vessels specifically designed to help them exist in a new shipping world. This could mean many idle vessels will never again travel the shipping lanes of the world and could end up as so much scrap metal.

Owner operator trucking professionals that have been operating a trucking transport in the Port of Los Angeles might see a little light at the end of the legal tunnel they see before them. The legal battle that has been brewing between the American Trucking Association and the Port of Los Angeles could take several years before any final decision is reached according to many legal eagles watching this affair. A little light appeared in the tunnel before the American Trucking Association the other day as a preliminary injunction against the concession banning owner operator trucking professionals from operating within the Port of Los Angeles was granted.

The legal battle will surely escalate now and the Port of Los Angeles will have to spend more money it doesn’t have during a time when many report that the port could be in serious financial hot water. The port was apparently able to access public funds in its battle to implement its concession against owner operator trucking in the Port of Los Angeles and has to date spent many millions on litigating this affair. The legal costs are probably just beginning to pile up though as it appears that we’re probably going to see this legal battle go a few rounds that will take years to complete. The tax payers can look forward to a large legal bill and very little could be accomplished other than wasting time and money in the end. Hopefully, the two parties involved come to their senses and work something out that allow them to reach common ground before this legal affair gets out of hand. Otherwise this legal battle could get a little heated and it could lead to complications for all involved.

Air freight carriers are moving air cargo across European skies once again after almost a week of being essentially frozen in place due to air spaces across Europe being closed due to dangerous volcanic ash that can clog airplane engines and cause other problems. The backlog of freight that needs to be moved is going to take a certain amount of time considering the finite amount of capacity that exists to move air freight in Europe and surrounding regions. Transporting a portion of the freight by trucking transport is one idea that’s being thrown around as away to reduce the backlog of air freight and the amount of time that it will take to get the backlog of freight cleared. In fact, the idea is considered by many in Europe’s freight industry to be the best solution for the current problem with time sensitive air freight that needs to make it to destination before it begins to spoil.

Estimates by many freight industry professionals suggest that the backlog of air freight could take as long as two weeks to clear. Unfortunately, a percentage of this air freight isn’t going to be able to wait for two weeks and they’re probably going to have to prioritize the freight. Transporting a large percentage of the freight that isn’t as time sensitive seems like an excellent idea? Also, if you need to, and the timeline involved with the trucking logistics of a shipment works, moving a percentage of the freight by trucking services could probably work as well. They need to find away to remove the weekend ban on trucking in some regions of Europe, if this idea is going to work though. At present trucking movements are going to be severely hampered over the weekend, when they’ll probably be implementing this idea first and with bans in place the job is going to be difficult.